Addressing the first meeting of the Cabinet after last week’s “horrendous” bombings in Riyadh, the crown prince insisted that the attacks would not affect the Kingdom’s security and stability. He thanked world leaders for condemning the attacks that killed 34 people.

Prince Abdullah also underlined the salient points in Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd’s keynote address to the Shoura Council on Saturday, and urged the Cabinet to translate them into a work plan for the government.

The Cabinet meeting strongly denounced the Riyadh blasts and urged citizens to cooperate with the security agencies to track down the criminals who had tried to shake the Kingdom’s security and stability.

“We are sure that the citizens will cooperate with the security agencies to uncover all those who try to undermine the nation’s security and stability as well as their instigators,” the Cabinet said and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s resolve to confront the criminals behind the attacks.

“This heinous crime came in violation of the teachings of the Shariah, which calls for the protection of five things — the religion, life, honor, mind and wealth of a person,” said the statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

The meeting also condemned the terror attacks in the Moroccan city of Casablanca on Friday and emphasized the need for international cooperation to combat terrorism and tighten the grip on its operatives and financiers.

The Cabinet called for the quick implementation of the Middle East Road Map with all its references, most importantly the Arab peace initiative. It said it hoped the Road Map would deal with all aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict and win international support.

Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy said the Cabinet meeting approved the rules and regulations related to Saudi POWs returning to the Kingdom.

It also decided to hold talks with South Korea to sign a memorandum of understanding for educational and scientific cooperation.

Al-Farsy said the Cabinet underscored the achievements of the Shoura Council, especially in advising the government and in formulating the country’s rules and regulations.

In a related development, the Shoura Council emphasized the need to protect expatriate workers in the Kingdom. “The state has offered the expatriates safety and security and allowed them to work in the country in accordance with its regulations,” it said.

“The council emphasizes that Islamic principles must apply for these expatriates, who have been offered safety. Their lives, wealth and honor must be protected, and nobody must harm them in any way,” the Shoura said in a statement.

The Shoura denounced the Riyadh terror attacks and urged the authorities to track down the perpetrators behind them as well as their supporters and financiers.

“This terrorist operation is an aggression on the Kingdom’s security,” the council said. “The Shoura considers this criminal attack as war declared by the terrorists against the Kingdom, its citizens and residents,” it said.

“The Shoura denounces this heinous crime ... and backs the measures taken by the state to track down the criminals and their supporters to punish them as well as to protect the security of the public, both Saudis and expatriates,” the statement said.

“This council stands by the government and affirms the necessity to capture all those who carried out or supported or financed these terrorist attacks,” the statement said and urged punishment of the criminals in accordance with the Shariah.

The council also urged the authorities to tackle the reasons that lead to extremism not only in the religious field but also in social, economic and cultural areas and at the national, regional and international level.

It said solutions to extremism needed to be found. “Joint efforts of religious, educational, financial, social and cultural organizations are needed to study the reasons of extremism and propose suitable solutions,” it added.

“They should also open channels of constructive dialogue and objective discussion and should not pass hasty judgment on others,” the council said.

The Shoura expressed its condolences to the blast victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.